MUMBAI: After a three year long association as an assistant, Sagar Ballary has directed mentor Rajat Kapoor in his debut film, Bheja Fry.
 
Ballary, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film Institute, has assisted Kapoor as his chief assistant director during the making of Raghu Romeo and Mixed Doubles. “It was a nice experience to be directed by someone who has learnt direction under me. But I think he was a lot more nervous in front of me, instead of the other way round,” laughs Kapoor.

Kapoor has not only enacted a pivotal character in the film, but has also stepped in as the executive producer for the film. Mixed Doubles’ producer Suneel Doshi is also the producer of Bheja Fry. “I was just paying back Sagar and Sunil by coordinating for their film and money respectively,” he says.

Ballary adds, “As a director, Rajat handles his actors very well and develops a comfort level with them which automatically translates into brilliant performances. This is exactly what I learnt from him and implemented on my sets, I would pamper all my actors including Rajat and attend to his clothes and hair.”

In Bheja Fry, Ballary has cast Kapoor as a very bored and arrogant music company executive. He says, “In Monsoon Wedding and Mixed Doubles too, Rajat has played nasty characters, so I knew he would be the best person to do justice to this wicked character,” Ballary laughs.
 
Bheja Fry will release on 13 April 2007. It also features Vinay Pathak, Ranvir Shorey, Milind Soman, Sarika and Bhairavi Gosawmi.